Carmarthen native Dr Alex George is hosting a new podcast for parents concerned about their children's mental health.

The UK youth mental health ambassador has teamed up with Young Minds and M&S for the three-part series, which aims to provide advice and guidance for parents as their children return to school.

Dr George has guests including mental health advocate Ro Mitchell, podcast host Georgia Jones, and Stevie Goulding from Young Minds’ Parents Helpline.

The first episode, available on YouTube and Spotify, focuses on supporting young people who may be struggling with anxiety ahead of the return to school.

Dr George said: "In so many of my conversations with young people about their mental health over the years, starting or returning to school or college always comes up.

"There is a lot to deal with – from the pressure of making friends, to the pressure of exams, as I know myself from when I was in school and at university."

Laura Bunt, chief executive at Young Minds, said: "We’re delighted to bring this podcast series to listeners through our partnership with M&S.

"More young people than ever before are struggling with their mental health, and from calls we receive to Young Minds Parents Helpline, we know returning to school can be a challenging time for young people."

Victoria McKenzie-Gould, corporate affairs director at M&S, said: "As a mum, I know just how tricky the back-to-school period can be.

"It’s been fantastic to have Dr Alex George as our host and listening makes me even prouder to be supporting Young Minds at M&S and even more determined to reach our £5 million fundraising target."

Research commissioned in 2023 by M&S and Young Minds found that despite struggling with their mental health, 65 per cent of young people hadn’t asked for any kind of formal support – 33 per cent of those said they felt too embarrassed.

Ahead of the back-to-school period, Young Minds have also released top ten tips for parents and carers, including trusting your instincts, making conversations about mental health part of your everyday life, and looking after yourself.

The full list of tips can be found on the Young Minds website.

The podcast series is part of a partnership between M&S and Young Minds, which aims to raise £5 million to support seven million young people and the adults in their lives over three years. So far, more than £2.1 million has been raised.